Story number 3 for 12 Nov 1999

Haitian Christians in the Dominican Republic are facing deportation at the hands of the government. We get details in this report from Mission Network News’ Ruth Bliss. “Christian Reformed World Missions’ Dick Van der Vorst says the church is made up of mostly Haitian migrant workers, and the news is troublesome. However, their faith remains strong. “This is a people that have endured a lot of hardship and their whole lives are filled with struggles. And so, I think they take this all in stride; these kind of reports come out frequently, although I think this time it may be more serious than before.” The deportation reports follow allegations of human rights abuses in the Dominican Republic-something the government denies. Van der Vorst says not only would deportation disrupt the church, it would also break up families and place more hardship on the people. The CRWM is involved with leadership training of national pastors and giving them instruction in teaching the church. Reporting for Mission Network News, I’m Ruth Bliss.”